


The Human Soul

by PlatformNineAndThreeQuarters



Category: The Host - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alien Invasion, Aliens, Body Dysphoria, F/M, Gen, Science Fiction, Souls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-11-16 14:16:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18095936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlatformNineAndThreeQuarters/pseuds/PlatformNineAndThreeQuarters
Summary: What happens when the Soul put into Melanie has a human consciousness?





	1. Trapped

"I can hear her inside my head." Aroma told the Healer. "They are not her memories. It is her. Like she is still there."

Alex cursed internally. Aroma's previous refusal to acknowledge her presence had been a boon. Over the months Alex was able to get strong enough to regain some control over her mind. She tried to be discreet, being careful not to alert Aroma, but you can only be so secretive when you share a brain.

The Healer looked worried. "This is not an uncommen phenomenon on this planet. The Hosts are quite resistant here, especially the ones who were occupied during the later stages of acquisition."

"It has been going on for quite a while with me. I've been in denial that anything was wrong. I used to convince myself that I was hearing my thoughts, but.......... Healer, the resistance is only persistent in the mind, right? They can't control our bodies, can they?"

Your bodies?

"There have been instances of Hosts cutting out Souls out of their bodies. They don't survive the process, but the death toll of Souls has also been very high." The Healer replied, regretfully. "We've been treating any case with remanent consciousness with highest caution. You don't have to worry, you'll be transferred to a new host as soon as possible." 

Alex could feel Aroma's reaction to this. She was embarrassed. She was the oldest Soul alive. In all of her fifty lifetimes, she had never skipped a host. 

"Isn't there any other way? Can't you make her go away?" 

Ha! As if they could! 

"I think it would be best for you to move on to a new host. This isn't skipping, Aroma. This is a defective host. It is justified." The Healer replied, guessing her thoughts. 

Hey! Who did you call defective? 

"I heard her." Aroma was frightened. Uh oh! Alex hoped her fear doesn't overpower her embarrassment at skipping. Because whatever they did with 'defective' hosts, Alex assumed it wasn't pretty. "I'll need some time To think about this, Healer." Alex could already hear her thoughts move in favor of skipping.

This wasn't good.


	2. The Last Stand

Aroma lied down on her bed, feeling exhausted, putting all effort in controlling her body.

Its not yours.

It was hers, she told herself. It was hers since she was put into it. The human didn't exist anymore.

She cried silently, unable to believe it anymore. Ever since she had returned from the Healer's office, the foreign thoughts had increased. There was resistance from in her every move and she couldn't easily access the Host's memories.

This planet was the best she had ever been to. The environment was as favorable as it could be. The Host species was complex and intelligent. But occupying them was just as difficult. Never on any planet had she faced such resistance. Moreover, the Hosts had been happy to cooperate with the Souls.

Humans, however, wanted to destroy the Souls as they had been destroying their planet.

Aroma sighed. It'll all be over soon. She'll get a new host, tomorrow. Hopefully, it will not speak back to her. 

She wasn't particularly happy when she walked down the hospital corridor the next day. Skipping a host was never in her to-do list. But she realised how necessary it was as she struggled to take each step forward. 

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. She couldn't move a muscle, no matter how hard she tried. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out. 

"Aroma, are you all right?" It was the Healer. 

No, she wasn't. But the words that came out of her mouth were, "Yes, Healer. I just wanted to inform you that I have changed my mind about occupying a new Host. I don't wish to set a bad example for younger Souls." 

No, no, no! Please don't listen to her. 

The Healer looked at her, suspiciously. "I'm sorry, Aroma. A transfer request cannot be cancelled. There is a Host in the operation room, ready for insertion. Secondly, you have already taken the drugs that would decrease your connection to the Host's brain."

Oh, thank heavens! Aroma relaxed. But her body didn't. Instead, it tensed up and started running in the opposite direction. The Host must be stupid if she thought she could escape. 

Oh, shut up! A blow came with the words. She never knew it was possible to get mentally punched. 

Soon enough, her body was captured by the hospital security. It was clear to them that Aroma was not in control. The Host was still struggling - physically and mentally, delivering blow after blow at Aroma's consciousness. 

Just a few more seconds, she told herself, as she saw her Healer bring a syringe towards her arm, hoping she would be faster. 

Aroma lost consciousness before the needle struck her.


	3. A New Host

There was choice other than to fight. Alex had never been strong physically but the man (parasite) holding her was. No matter how much she struggled, it wouldn't affect him. They easily subdued her.

This was it. She was going to die. All because of Aroma's ability to keep quite. Alex was so angry at her that she used all her will to push her out her mind. Atleast for a few moments before she died, she wanted her body all to herself. Aroma didn't belong there.

After multiple blows, just before she was about to be knocked out, she felt Aroma give in. There wasn't anything trying to control Alex anymore. That was when the needle pricked her arm and she no more.  
....................................... 

The memory came with sharp color and searing pain. Her skin was cold and pain was burning her limbs. All she could do was run. They were right behind her, close.

She lost. They lost. It was over.

"Please stop!" The Seeker called. "There is danger ahead." 

She was lying. The danger was behind. 

It didn't take long for her to realize that it wasn't her memory. 

She saw her face on the glass window towards which she was running. It wasn't her face. She crashed through the window. Pain was everywhere and blackness took her. 

.................................................... 

Alex woke up with a start. Was that a dream? No. It felt too real. How was she even alive?

Two people rushed towards her. Not people. Souls, she thought, observing the silver in their eyes. She recognized one of them as Aroma's Healer. 

"Aroma, how do you feel?" she asked. 

Aroma? This was the body Aroma was transferred to? How did she get here? 

"This is a time sensitive matter, Healer." said the Soul next to the Healer. 

"Of course." the Healer replied. "Aroma, your host was one of the humans of the resistance. The Seeker would like you to look into her memories and tell her if she had any accomplices." 

"She didn't." Alex quickly replied. Maybe a bit too quickly. "She was alone. Her family was integrated years ago." She didn't even bother to check the human's memories. Even if she had any accomplices Alex wasn't going to rat them out. 

Alex wondered if she was convincing enough, but the Seeker didn't look suspicious. They definitely weren't expecting a human to get transferred to another human. 

"Thank you, Aroma." The Seeker said. 

"Alex." She corrected the Seeker, automatically. Realizing what she had done, she quickly added. "I mean I would like to take this name." 

The shocked expressions on the their faces lessened a bit. 

"Looks like we have another Kevin, Healer." The Seeker commented. 

"Who's Kevin?" Alex couldn't help but ask. 

It was the Healer who answered. "Kevin was the name of the previous Host of the Soul who was called Upside Down Magnolia. Like your previous host, he also gained control over the body and tried to remove the Soul from his brain. It was very violent." The Healer shuddered. "The Host body died due to the injuries. We were able to save the Soul and inserted him into a new body. He is fine now, except that he has taken the name Kevin." She concluded, sadly. 

"I see." Alex said after a few uncomfortable moments. "What happened to my previous Host's body?" 

She seriously needed to shut up before she blew her cover. 

Maybe it was natural for Souls to care about their Host's bodies as they did not get suspicious. "She is in Cryo-Inanimation Chamber. She will be used to determine the cause of resistance in Host bodies." 

Alex barely suppressed an urge to vomit.


	4. An Unexpected Ally

Alex went back to 'her' apartment. Apparently 'she' was supposed to live on with her life, like nothing had happened. She did not know how she was supposed to do that. Aroma was a teacher. How could she continue doing that when she didn't have the Soul's memories?

Well, you could just run away, said her brain.

She could, but........ Wait. Those weren't her thoughts.

Of course, they weren't. They are mine. I'm Melanie, by the way, not that you care.

Holy cow! 

Before Alex could answer her, someone knocked on the door. She opened it to find Clear Blue Sky, Aroma's neighbor and colleague. 

"Oh, Aroma. I was so worried when I heard about it. You must have been so scared." She gushed. 

"Yes, but I'm fine now. Why don't you come in?" Alex didn't want to invite her in but Aroma would have. 

"No, I'm in a hurry right now. I just wanted to inform you that you shouldn't worry about your class. Take some off, to adjust to your new host." 

"That's very kind of you." It was one of the things Souls often said to each other. 

"Take care now. Good night." 

Alex tried taking back to Melanie once she was gone. 

Melanie? Hi, you there? 

There was no reply. Is that how Aroma felt when she did that? It was frustrating. 

Maybe she could get something going by looking through her memories. 

Melanie lived in Tennessee with her family when the acquisition began. Her parents were caught early on and Melanie was left with her ten year old brother, Jamie. They had to fend alone untill they met Jared........ Jared, Alex's heartbeat fastened as his image came before her eyes. 

Mine, came a voice from inside her head, along with a hard blow. Melanie had mastered the mental punch faster than she had. 

Ow. C'mon girl. I'm not interested. It's your body that's doing this. 

Melanie took a minute to answer, probably taking her time to calm down. Sorry. I got carried away. 

Its fine. Just don't do that again. 

Okay but we're running away. 

Where would we go? 

There is a secret hideout in Arizona where a few surviving human are. My uncle Jeb is there. I have already sent Jamie and Jared that way. I was going to go there with my cousin, Sharon, before I was caught. 

I'm not sure about this, Melanie. Do you realize what kind of opportunity we have here? We can live among the Souls, know their weaknesses, work against them. You think going to the hideout is our best option right now? 

I think we are at an impasse.


	5. Frolicking through the Desert

Eight hours later Alex was loading her car for a trip to Arizona. Apparently, there was no arguing with Melanie while living in her body.

"Are you sure a road trip is the best thing for you right now?" Clear Blue Sky asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I need to clear my head after all that has happened." Alex replied, getting into the car.

 _You forgot one important thing, genius._ Came Melanie's snide comment.

**What is that?**

_Money! You you can drive from San Diego to Tucson without any money?_

**Souls don't use money, genius. You can walk into any store, take what you want and leave. They don't get paid for their jobs either.**

_You're kidding, right?_

**No, it's true. Souls are a very advanced species, scientifically and socially, maybe morally too. I would actually like them if they weren't living as parasites inside humans.**

Melanie didn't reply. Maybe she fell asleep. She didn't say anything till we reached Tucson.

**Okay, so where do we go from here?**

No reply. Alex knew how to get her back. She just needed to find a steamy memory with Jared.

_Don't do that. I'm here._

**Thank you for gracing me with your presence. Would you like to enlighten me about where to go next?**

_Drive 5 miles south on the highway. Then take a right._

**A right? A right to where? The desert?**

_Of course._

**Are you crazy? The car won't run there! The tyres would sink!**

_Didn't think about that._

Of course she didn't. Alex decided to drive the car as far as it'd go. They could walk the rest of the way. Melanie's body was strong. They could pull it off.

Eight hours later, in the scorching heat of the desert, she realised how wrong she was. They had finished off all the water they carried two hours ago.

This was it. She was going to die of dehydration in a desert after escaping an alien inhabitantion. Slowly her control over the host body was fading. Melaine was the one in control and was directing the body in no particular direction. It appeared that even she wasn't sure about the exact location of the place.

**Do you even know where you're going?**

_I do. It's just been many years since I last came here._

Alex cursed internally. Why did she agree to this?

**There is no use walking now. Let's just sit down.**

_Yeah, you're right._

Both of them were exhausted and dehydrated. They lost consciousness as soon as they sat down.


End file.
